An extensive Garda Roads Policing Operation is taking place throughout this St Brigid’s Bank Holiday Weekend until 7am on Tuesday.
Bank Holiday Weekends are one of the busiest periods on Irish roads, they are also one of the periods where road users are at the highest risk of being involved in a fatal or serious road traffic collision.
18 people have now died on Irish roads since the start of the year. The latest incident occurred last night in County Carlow where three individuals were killed on the N80 at Leagh on the Wexford Road following a single vehicle collision.
Over the course of the weekend the focus of An Garda Síochána will be on Intoxicated driving, speeding, use of mobile phones and seatbelt offences.
Wexford Sergeant Niall Maher issued a heartfelt appeal to Wexford road users for the weekend ahead stating that ‘one high can lead to a six-foot low’.
The five day period of the bank holiday in 2023 saw one fatal collision resulting in one fatality and one serious injury along with 16 serious injury collisions
According to RSA research, in 2023 the highest risk age among road users was those aged 16-25 years. This group represented 26% of total fatalities (48 fatalities), and the figures represented an overall increase of 23 road user fatalities compared to 2022.
Sergeant Maher went on to say that the message is simple:
“Slow down on our roads, do not use your mobile phone when driving, wear your seatbelt and never ever drink and drive. We want everyone to have a great weekend but we also want everyone to have a safe weekend.”
